Appointments made to new Labrador Regional Appeal Board

The provincial government has created a new Labrador Regional Appeal Board and appointed to it Karen Oldford (chair), George Andrews, Reginald Hutchings and Nina Rumbolt-Pye.

Appointments were made through the merit-based appointment process as established through the Public Service Commission. The new members will receive training on regional appeal board processes and procedures prior to hearing appeals in the Labrador region.

With the establishment of the Labrador board, there are now regional appeal boards in all regions of the province. The function of these boards is to hear appeals of municipal council decisions and to decide whether decisions were valid or invalid as prescribed under the Urban and Rural Planning Act, 2000.

“I welcome all members to the Labrador Regional Appeal Board and thank them for being a part of the brand new board,” said Municipal Affairs and Environment Minister Graham Letto in a news release. “Residents of Labrador will benefit from having their appeals heard at home by a locally focused board.

“While the regional appeal boards are independent, they play an important role in providing residents and businesses a method of appealing decisions made by local governments and other entities.”

• Karen Oldford (chair) is a resident of Labrador City and is currently a registered nurse with Labrador-Grenfell Health. Oldford is also the former president of Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador and former mayor and deputy mayor of the Town of Labrador City (2009-17). Oldford was recognized as a Labradorian of Distinction in 2017.

• George Andrews is a resident of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. For the past 35 years, he has been employed by the Canadian Coast Guard. Since 1997, Andrews has served as the Officer in Charge within the Marine Communications and Traffic Services program of the Canadian Coast Guard. He is actively involved in his community, previously serving as the president of the Terrington Consumers Cooperative Society, treasurer of the Lake Melville Shrine Club, and councillor and deputy mayor of the Town of Happy Valley Goose Bay (2003-13).

• Reginald Hutchings is a resident of North West River. Hutchings has served as an inspector/firefighter for the North West River Volunteer Fire Department since 2004, and as an organizer for the North West River Beach Festival Committee since 2014. Hutchings was also previously a town councillor for the Town of North West River.

• Nina Darleen Rumbolt-Pye is a resident of Mary’s Harbour. Rumbolt-Pye is presently a councillor on Nunatukavut’s Governing Council and director of the Nunatukavut Human Resource and Training Policy Committee. She also sits as co-chair on the board of directors of Harbourview Manor and previously acted as the Labrador Representative for Heritage Canada’s Celebrate Canada Committee. Rumbolt-Pye served as Mayor of Mary’s Harbor from 1997-2007.